g-roesbeck



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1..

D. GROESBE-OK, O. A. BALL 8: J. A. STERLING.

SPARK ARRESTER.

No. 324,683. PatentedAug. 18, 1885 (No Model.)

, 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. GROESBEGK. G. AJBALL & J. A. STERLING.

SPARK ARRESTER.

No. 324,683. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

' (No Model.) v 5 Sheets-Sheet s. I

D. GROESBEQK, G. A. BALL & J. A STERLING. SPARK ARRESTER NNN Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

. w A V E \vw 2 5 a E 6 W E k: :F (z w (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet, 5.

A. BALL 8: J. A. STERLING. SPARK ARRBSTER.

D. GROE'SBBGK, 0

Patented Aug. 18, 1885;

A l AKA NITED STAES:

A'rlnNT OFFICE,

DAVID enonsnncir, CHARLES A. BALL, AND JOSEPH A. STERLING, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,683, ilated August 18, 1885.

Application filed August 23, 1883. (No model.)

To all Ill/L07 it may concern.-

Be'it known that we, DAVID GROESBECK, CHARLES A. BALL,and JosErn A. STERLING, all of New York city, have jointly invented 5' certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of sparkarresters more particularly adapted for locor motives which employ a tank of water ben'eat-h the stack into which the draft from the fines is deflected so as to catch and extinguish the sparks, and which tank is provided with means for dumping its contents and recharg- 1 ing the same with water as occasion requires.

Spark-arresters of this class are shown in the patent toGroesbeck, No. 270,423, of January =9, 1883, and the patent to Groesbeck, Sterling, Ball, and ,Wright, N 0. 270,424, of Jannary 9, 1883, and our present invention is a further improvement and a variation on the spark-arresters therein shown.

, The particular structure of our former apparatns was more especially adapted for hard coal-burning engines and for locomotives of the standard type having a four-wheeled truck under the front end of the boiler. In

this form of engine opportunity was afforded to extend the extingnishingtank down from c the base of the smokearch between the cylinders and truck-wheels of the engine, with a dumping-door atits base, whereby the con= tents of the extinguishingtank might be dumped at frequent intervals directly on the 5 track during the trip; The particular structi nre of our present apparatus is, however, designed more especially for s0ft-coal-burning engines and for very large locomotives of r the consolidated type, in which aswingo ing two-wheeled truck is swiveled under the extreme front of the engine in advance of the smoke-arch. In these engines it is not practical to have the extingnishingtank extended down below the frame on account of the position oft-he said truck, and hence, according to our; present invention, we arrange the extingnishing-chamber and water-tank above the frame over the truck, and We raise the water-level therein high above thebase of the 5o smoke-arch,-an d thus provide an extinguishing-chamber of very large capacity, which obviates the necessity of dumping during a trip, and'is capable of receiving all the sparks during a long run,and requires dur'npingonlyat the end of the trip, which becomes a most desirable and important improvement for the class of engines described. This arrangement also necessitates a material modification of the stack relatively to the smoke-arch and ex tinguishing-chamber, the stack in this case being compound or triple, and consisting of a primary ascending flue which rises, as usual, from the top of the smokearch over the ex haust-nozzles, but bends at the top into an in termediate descending flne,which discharges down into thewater in the extinguishing tank,'in which the sparks are forcibly pro jected and exting11ished, while theelear draftpasses over the surface of the water and rises freely through a terminal or secondary ascending flue, which dischargesin the air. Y

In our former apparatuses the smoke-arch. was extended or enlarged so that the smokearch-proper and extinguishing-chamber were involved in one, with a downwardlydnelined sparkdeflector extending out from the finesheet and archingdown over the water in the extinguishing-tank, forming an indirect passage for the draft to the stack, whereas in our present apparatus a close wall of separation 50 rises between the smoke-arch proper and the extinguishing chamber, which extinguishingcha mberforms a secondary smoke-arch, from which the secondary ascending stack arises, while the inclined deflector within the smoke 8 arch proper is entirely dispensed with and the deflector arrangedwithin the stack itself in the form of the intermediate descending flue before referred to. p

The main features of our present invention therefore lie in the points above outlined, anda fnrthervimportant feature consists in making the water-tank in the form of" amovable box and the extinguishing-chamber in the form of a vfixed inclosing casing with doors-the water-tank being movable into and out of the eatinguishing-chamber, whereby the tank is easily dumped at the end of a tri ar invention also embodiesseveral details rco connected with the aforesaid main fratnris,-

as hereinafter fully set'fort-h.

. l n thedrawingsannexed, Figure 1 presentsa longitudinal sectional elevation of a consolidated locomotive provided with our improved spark-arresting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stack thereof. Fig. 3 isafront end elevation of the locomotive, and Fig.4isa

' -Referring to Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 7, a a indicate the boiler of a consolidated locomotiveengine, the front end of which, forming the 'smoke'arch b, rests upon the saddles c, from each end of which the cylinders in m depend,

as'in the usual constructions.

e indicates the branches of. the steam-pipe, which extend down within each sideof the smoke-arch to each cylinder, and d indicates the exhaust-nozzle rising from the centeu of the baseot' the smoke arch and discharging under the petticoat-pipe j, which is fixed within the smoke-arch directly beneath. the

stack in the ordinary manner, as shown.

Now, gindicates the frame of the engine,

which extends outfar beyond the smoke-arch and cylinders, as shown, the bumper-beam h truck is of the usual construction and arrange ment employed in-engines of the class described, as well understood by locomotive engineers,- and is sufficiently illustrated in the drawings, and therefore needs no special description here. .It will be readily noted,how-

ever, that the position of the truck in front of the smoke-arch prevents the possibility of using a water-tank below the frame of the'en gine at this point,and prevents the use of any dumping device extending .down below the smoke-arch, as in our former patents. According to our present invention, therefore, we erect above .the frame of the engine over the truck A, and in front of the smoke-arch, a close compartment or extinguishing'chamber, B, which is made of boiler-iron similar to the smokcarclnand is ofabout the same width and height as the smoke-arch, but having its top preferably flat and its upper corners square, while the sn'ioke-arch is round, as shownin Figs. 3 and 7. The frame of the engine is floored over with a plate, k, of boiler-iron,as seen in Fig. l, to form a floor or bottom to the extinguishingchamber, in which, however,

there is an openingto allow the swivel-head of the truck A to project up and move therein as may be required. The front of the smokeweb, with its usual removable door, 1/, forms the back wall of the extinguislling-chamber,

and this wall forms, as will be understood, a

tight partition between the smoke-arch proper and the extinguishing-chamber, while the latter forms a secondary smoke-arch. The front wall of theextinguishing-chamber is preferably made movable in the form of two hinged or swinging doors, 71, which may be opened wide to give access o the extinguishing-chamber to remm 0 its contents or to give access to the smoke-arch through the usual door or head, b, as will be understood, and may be again closed and locked tight by an ordinary latch or fastening. (Shown in Figs. 3 and 7.) Now,the water-box or extinguishingtank is indicated at B, which tank,instead of being fixed within the extinguishingchamber, as heretofore, is preferably made inthe form ofaseparate movable tank or carcapable of being moved into or out of the chamber. as occasion requires, for dumping, &c.

The water-tank, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4,. is preferably made in the .form of a wheeledhopp'er car, constructed of boiler-iron, so as to be strong and water-tight, with its bottom recessed at the sides to make room for the attachment of the wheels or rollers c c, and recessed at the middle to allow the swivel of the truck to work underneath the same when the tank is in place in the extinguishingchamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This wheeled tank rests on rails g g, which extend along the frame of the engine from the smokeassist the dumping movement of the tank, as

indicated in Fig. 1, and hereinafter morefully described.

It will be seen from Figs. 1, 3, and 4 that p the movable water-tank is of about the same dimensions as the extinguishing-chamber, but sufiici'ently smaller to readily pass in andont of the same, as shown, and it is therefore of large capacity-say, three feetd eep, four wide,

arch, as shown in Figs. 1 and '1, containing about two hundred and fiftygallons. This amount-of water is therefore suflicient to extinguish all the sparks produced during one long trip, and the capacity of the tank is sufficient to receive the accumulations of one trip, so that it becomes necessary to dump the tank only at the endof the trip.

The stack 0 is considerably modified from what has been heretofore employed, as willbe observed from Figs. 1, 2, and 5. is of about the usual height and transverse width; but in longitudinal side view it is greatly elongated, of flat oblong form, with rounded ends, and extends from the usual p0- This stack sition of the stack on the center of the smoke arch to the front end of the extinguishingchamber, as fully-illustrated in the drawings.

This elongated stack is divideu by internal partitions, as shown, into a compound zigzag title or passage of three members. The first member, a, correspondingtto the usual stack, rises straight up from the smoke-arch over the petticoatpipe f, as usual, but curves at the top. into an intermediate d scending flue, 0, which preferably inclines forward slightly, andwhich discharges into the top of the extinguishingchamber at the middle thereof, and directly over and into the water-tank when placed thereunder, as seen in Figs. 1 and 7. The third flue, p, is a final ascending or discharge flue, which rises from the top of the extinguishing-chamber justin front of the descending flue and opens freely in the air at the top of the stack.

The transverse area of the primary line a is the same as that of the ordinary-stack, and the transverse area of the descending flue 0 at the narrow part is equal thereto, while the area of the discharge-flue p at the lower end is preferably greater than the former-say of twice the V area-and the distance between the top of the extinguishing-chamber and the water-level in the extinguishing-tank is about equal to the diameter of the primary flue-say fifteen inches. This distance remains uniform or nearly so during aetiomfor we find in practice that the evaporationof the water from the effects of the sparks and hot draft about equals the displacement caused by the accumulation of exti nguished sparks, so that no automatic devices are necessary to maintain aregular level, and a regular level is not in fact necessary, as the level mayvary a few inches up or .down from that indicated without any dera ngementin the action of the apparatus, thus presenting the important advantages of simplicity and efficiency. g

The general construction being now made plain, the action will be readily understood by referring to Fig. 1-that is, the tank being properly charged with water and placed within the extinguishing-chamber and the doors closed" and locked, as indicated, the engine may now be started, when the draft and sparks will be drawn from the smoke-arch under the impulse of the steam jets through the exhaustnozzle and petticoat-p'ipe, and will thence-ascend in a powerful volume in the primary flue a of the stack, which ascending current will be gradually turned into the descending flue, 0, down through which the draft and sparks Y will be forcibly directed into the water-tank.

The sparks will be projected directly into the water, where they will be immediately extinguished, and thence sink to and accumulate in thebotto'm of thetank, while the cleardraft will pass over the surface of the water, and thence rise finally in the ascending fluep and discharge in the air. By this means it will,

.. struct edbut is actually improved, and the combustion in the furnace and the steaming under the influence of any slight lateral currents in the extiuguishingchamher, so that there is hence little or no liability of any sparks passing out over the surface of the water into the discharge-due Thisliability of lateral currents affecting the sparks is further reduced by the fact that any lateral currents in the exti nguishing-cliamber will always be at a much lower speed than the speed of the sparks when projected downward from the descending flue 0, for, as the space within the extinguishingchamber above the water-level is of much greater area than the area of the descending ilue, and as the area of the dischar'ge-fiuep is also much greater than the descending flue 0, it follows that the draft, as soon as it enters the extinguishingchamber, spreads out into this space and becomes suddenly and greatly reduced in its speed relatively to the speed of the sparks, so that while the draft necessarilytakes a, turn over the surface of the water and ascends the diseharg; ing-tlue p it always does so atagreatly-reduced speed compared with the downward velocity of the sparks, and hence with little or no tendency to carry out live sparks, dust, or ashes with it, so that the action of this apparatus becomes particularly clean, simple, and satisfactory in arresting sparks and other solid matter, and at the same time maintaining a clear, unobstructed draft. Afteralongrunsay of one hundred milesor at the end of the trip, when the tank is found to be overcharged with accumulated sparks, the engine is brought to a standstill at a suitable dumping-place, and the tank may 'then be easily dumped. This is done by openwill now be noted that the lower and front' corner of the tank is recessed or rounded off, and that the wheels are disposed under the back portion of the tank only, leaving the retreating front corner overhanging, so that the center of gravity is thus brought toward the front of the tank at or nearly over the front pair of wheels. Gonsequently,when the tank is rolled out on the rails so that the front wheels strike the curved upturned ends of the rails, the axle of these wheels formsa pivot 011 which the tank may be easily revolved or turned out over the pilot by applying a little force in that direction, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus upsetting the tank and thereby dumping its contents into a suitable pit or other receptacle in advance of the engine. A short length of chain, r,fixed at one end in the floor of the extinguishing-chamber, and at the other end to the back corner of the tankear, forms a safety-connection to limit the dumping movement of the carand prevent its being entirely overturned, as will be understood. Aftcr the tank is thus dumped it is again raised into position on the rails, and is rolled back into the extinguishing-ehamber and is there charged with fresh water through the feed pipe t, which extends from the watertanks in the tender along the side of the locomotive -to the top of the extinguishing-chainber, down through which it discharges in a position over the month of the tank, as fully shown in Figs. 1- and 3, and after the tank is thus filled to the desired level the doors I Z may be closed and the spark-arresting apparatus will be again ready for another long run, as will be understood.

The water may be forced through the feedpipe t by a steainjet or other motive device, as will be understood; bntif desired this feedpipe t may be entirely dispensed with and the tank filled before it is rolled into the extinguishing-chamber from the hose of the usual watering-station at the side of the track.

Referring to the stack in Fig. 1, the curved hood or partition a, forming the arched top of the primary and intermediate fines, is preferably formed of chilled cast-iron in a semicylindrieal shell, having flanges ateach end whereby it is bolted to the stack-casing, where by this hood is well adapted to resist the rain of incandescent sparks which will be thrown against it. The inclined partitionso 0" of the intermediate fine may also be formed of chilled cast-iron similarly attached to the stack-casing, as indicated; but this is hardlynecessary, as wrought-iron will serve for said parts.

Instead of having the finesn 0 extending high up to the top of the stack, they may make a short turn into the extinguishing'ehamber, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1; but we find that the extension of the primary flue a straight up to the top of the stack, and thence curving it gradually into the descending flue 0, enables the exhaust-jets and petticoat-pipe to act with greater ednctive effect and imparts a much more positive impulse to the draft through the several fines of the stack and gives a better momentum and a straighter direction to the sparks, which renders the said construction much more desirable,as condncing to a better draft and a more certain arrest of the sparks. We also find that the natural draft in this stack is not impaired, but is actually increased. Instead, however, of making the stack, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, with one oblong inclosure divided by internal partitions, the stack may be made in either of the forms shown in Figs. 8 and 9-that is, of

three distinct cylindrical pipes, n 0 p, the

primary and intermediate pipes being joined at the top by a semicircular wrought or cast pipe, n, as illustrated. In Fig.8 the curved connecting-pipe is left exposed, and the top of the final discharge-pipe surmounted by a molding or capital to finish the same, while in Fig. 9 the tops of the three pipes are inclosed in an encircling oblong molding or capital'to impart an appearance of finished termination thereto. .We ;consider, however, the stack shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 7 as the best, in being more simple and efiicient in construction, and neat and symmetrical in appearance.

In lieu of having the water-tank in the form ,of a wheeled car, as before described, it may be constructed and arranged as shown in-Figs. 5 and 6. In this case the tank is fixed at its lower and front corner to a strong rock-shaft, a, which is journaled at each end inthe front and lower corner of the extinguishing-chant her, and onone end of this shaft is fixed a toothed sector, a, which meshes with a pinion, 3, journaled in a bracket on the side of the extinguishing-chamber and provided'with a hand-crank, 4. Hence by this construction it will be seen that the tank is pivoted or f hinged in the extinguishingchamber, and it may therefore be readily dumped, when the doorsoftheextinguishing-chamberareopened. by turning the. crank at, and thereby turning the tank on its pivot, and thus upsetting or dumping the same over the bumper-beam, as indicated by dotted lines.

Any other arrangement of movable tank may, however, be used besides those shown; but we prefer the wheeled tank shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, as we consider this simpler and more easily managed by hand. \Ve do not: I however, limit ourselves to having the watertank movable and separate from theextingnishing-ehamber, for one great advantage and distinguishing feature of our present in- 'vention lies in having a water-tank in. front of and at the base of the smoke-arch proper, above the frame or truck of the engine, with its water-level high above the base of the smoke-areh,in connection with the zigzag deflecting fines, as before described, as this presents a spark-arresting chamber of great capacity adapted for a long run without needing dumpings or renewals during the run, and forms an exceedingly simple, effective, and inexpensive spark-arresting apparatus admirabl-y adapted for consolidated locomotives a charge of water in said chamber extending from or near the base of the sinoke box high above the same, and a free air-space 1n the top of said chamber above said water, of a fine ]chaniber supported on the frame of the engine. above the truck and in front of the smoke-box, with a charge of Water in said chamber'rising high above the base of the srnoke box to or near the top thereof, a free space in the top of said chamber above said charge of water, a primary flue discharging downwardly into said free space above'said water, and a free discharging flue or outlet into the atmosphere from said space beyond said downward fiue, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a locdmotive or equivalent engine, an extinguishing-chamber arranged in front of the sm0ke-boi,with a due or stack discharging therein from the snioke-box,and a reniovable extinguishing-tank inclosed therein be neat-h said flue and capable of being moved into and out of said chamber, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

a. In a locomotive-engine,awater-tank supported on the frame of the engine in front of the smoke-box and separated therefrom with a charge of water in said tank extending from or near the base of the smohabox high above ihe same, with a free air-space in the top of said tank above the hater level, in. combination with'the primary fiuea, ascending from the smoke-box, the intermediate descending tine, 0, discharging downwardly into the free space in the water-tank above the water-level, and the ascending line 1), rising from the said free space above thaws-terinto the air, substantially as herein shown and described,

5. Inaiocoinotive engine,theiollowingcornbination and organization of elements: the smoke-arch i2 and extinguishingchamber A in front of the same, a charge of water in said extinguishing hainber above the base of the smoke-arch, a free airspace in the ton of said chamber above the water-level,theprimary tine ascending from the smoke-arch, exhausi jet ii, directed into said fine a, downeharging into the air-space in the extinguish ing chamber above the water therein, and'the final discharging-flue p, rising from said eX- tinguishing chamber above the water-level, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. in a locomotive-engine, the combination, with the smoke-arch and the extinguishingchamber in front of the same, ofthe compound stack consisting ofanoblong.- ineiosing-easing superposed upon and connecting both. the smoke-arch and the extinguishing-chamber, and'provided with internal partitions forming a zigzig due, a 0 p, the flue a 0, rising from the smokearch and discharging into the extinguishing-chamber, while the line 10 rises from the extingnishing-chamber, substantially as set forth.

7 In a spark-arresting apparatus, substantially as described, the combination, with the extingnishing-ohaznber, of theinovable watertank, movable into and out of the same, movable doors on the walls of said chamber to inclose said tank or allow the removal thereof, and means to remove and dump the'said tank, substantially as herein set forth.

-' In a spark-arresting apparatus, substanthe extinguishinghhamberB and supporting rails g g, of the wheeled watertank B, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set iinlth;

9. in a spark arresting apparatus, such as set forth, the combination, with the extinguish ing-eharnber and the movable'extinguishingtank, of the water-feed pipe 3, discharging at of the tank, substantially as herein shown and described; I

BAVFZD GROESBEQK.

CHARLES A. BALL "JOSEPH STERLlNG Witnesses:

3N0. i GAVIN,

CELLS. M; Hroorss,

.tiallysuch as described, the combination,witli v ward tine o, eontinuing from flue wand dis-- the top of the chamber overandinto the mouth 

